Argentina Need Lionel Messi to Play for Financial Reasons, Says AFA President

Till Lionel Messi calls time on his international career, he will be considered of utmost importance for the fortunes of the team. But now the Argentina Football Association President Claudio Tapia says it is important that Messi turnout for the Albiceleste as that financially benefits the federation.

Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after losing to France (Image: FIFA)

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Till Lionel Messi calls time on his international career, he will be considered of utmost importance for the fortunes of the team. But now the Argentina Football Association President Claudio Tapia says it is important that Messi turnout for the Albiceleste as that financially benefits the federation.

Argentina’s captain though is yet to take a decision on his future after Argentina were knocked out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the round of 16 stage by France. Before the tournament began, Messi had said that his team would need to win it "now or never."

"Emotionally, this blow must have been very hard on him, but Argentina needs him," Tapia told Radio Mitre. "From a financial standpoint, Messi is very important to the AFA. "I think Messi will continue. He loves the Argentina national team a lot. We have a lot of confidence in him."

The President of the AFA, who was in touch with Messi last week, said that the superstar needed some more time to decide on his future.

"We have a good relationship," Tapia said. "He is on holiday and enjoying with his family. We did not speak at all about the World Cup. We have to leave him alone, let him [collect his thoughts], begin the season in Spain and see what happens next year."

Messi's mother, Celia Cuccittini had said before the World Cup that her son had been troubled by the criticism over his performances with the national team.

"We saw him like many others did, with this degree of responsibility that we also generated a little bit," Tapia said of Messi, who scored one goal and set up two more at the World Cup. "We thought he was a superhero but he is a human being. He is the best player in the world but he is a human being. We loaded him with responsibilities that ended up backfiring."

If Messi does choose to continue with the national team, he will return to a new set up after AFA and Jorge Sampaoli parted ways by mutual agreement earlier in the month.

Under Sampaoli, Argentina won seven of their 15 games, including just one at the World Cup -- a 2-1 win over Nigeria in the group stage. Messi was extremely crucial in taking Argentina to Russia after he scored a hat-trick in their final qualifier against Ecuador.

"We are thinking and working towards what is coming next after the performances we had at the World Cup and Sampaoli's departure," Tapia said. "The storm has passed. No one thought that we would have the performances that we had at the World Cup.

"We thought we would do much more. I always said that having a good World Cup meant finishing in the top four."

Tapia denied all reports that Argentina had spoken to Colombian coach Jose Pekerman, while Peru coach Ricardo Gareca is also considered to be in the reckoning.

Argentina’s next games are friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia in the United States in September.

"We will decide along with the executive committee who the next coach will be," Tapia said. "We haven't spoken to Jose or anyone else. We will start talking about this on July 31.

"We will work with men who can begin with a total redesign of everything. Things haven't been done well in previous years."